One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
by Maven Cree
Summary: Gambit gains. At the same time, Storm looses. Will Remy give up everything to make it right for her again?
1. OSFTSB1

Disclaimer:Any characters previously mentioned in a Marvel Comic, I do not own.Marvel does.I'm not making money off of this.****

**One Step Forward, Two Steps Back**

Part One

"Uh, Remy? Could we talk to you for a minute?" Jean asked hesitantly.

"What I do now?" Gambit asked dryly, not bothering to look up from his early morning repair work on his Harley. The night before he'd noticed an oil leak and wanted to get a jump on it.

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

This did cause Remy to look up, eyebrow raised in question. Jean and her husband Scott Summers were standing in the entrance to the garage, looking _extremely_ uncomfortable. He remained in his kneeling position, one hand on the seat of the bike.

"Talk den."

"…Well, we've been wrestling with how to approach you with this since we got home last night. You know we spent the day at my parents' house."

Remy nodded, but had no clue where this was going.

"Well… um…" Jean looked to Scott for help.

"Well, you see… Jean's niece was working on a project for school. It was on the rate of missing children in the tri-state for around the past thirty years. She was using Internet police reports."

"Uh-huh." Still no clue.

"Generally," Jean continued. "She just had to study the numbers. But whenever there was a case that seemed… unusual, ----- would pull it up for more detail."

Jean sighed and looked at Cyclops again. "On one of these inquiries, she pulled up this…"

She stepped forward unfolding a piece of paper she had been holding. Jean handed it to Remy.

He stood up as he let his eyes run over the piece of paper. Most of it was a standard missing child report; however, it only took him a moment to find what was making Scott and Jean so uncomfortable.

The file was for a baby reported missing just over twenty-five years earlier. Disappeared from the hospital when he was two days old. Seven pounds three ounces… red on black eyes. It was reported he had been kidnapped from a New Jersey hospital nursery in the middle of the night. The parents were at first suspect, but that inquiry was quickly dropped.

Remy quietly looked down at the form for several minutes. Scott and Jean were beginning to think that he had forgotten them, when he finally spoke.

"Uh, 'preciate you bringin' me dis… but it ain't me."

"How can you be so sure? Twenty-five years ago… the eyes…"

"An' in Jersey."

"Still…"

"An' dere's other tings. Jus' trus' me. It ain't me. …But t'anks jus' the same."

Scott nodded and he and Jean left.

Remy looked back down at the paper in his hand.

_'It ain't me.'_

* * * * *

"Thank you, Scott." Ororo took the phone from him.

"Hello?"

"…"

"Yes, of-of course. Tomorrow?"

"…"

"Eight thirty will be fine."

"…"

"Thank you. Good-bye."

"Problem darlin'?"

"…No, nothing of consequence, Logan. A personal matter."

"Mmm. You know ya got yer backup if ya need it."

"Always my friend."

Dr. Henry McCoy entered the morning scene. "Morning salutations to you all."

"Hank—Buddy—It's too early for the dictionary." Bobby hung his head wearily over his plate, a cup of coffee glued to his hand.

"Well, serves you right for staying out all night with Gambit. Now pass me a stack of them flap jacks."

"Stack?"

"Stack."

"Here, Hank. You may have mine."

"You haven't touched it."

"I am not hungry." Ororo slid her plate over to the doctor.

"Well, if you are certain…"

"Like he wasn't gonna take them."

"I am not so food obsessed that I would take a meal out of the mouth of a teammate. And I strongly suggest you lay off the late night partying for a while. You become quite the little _bitch_ the morning after."

Bobby stuck out his tongue.

"Ya know Hank, I don't think I've ever heard you swear before."

"Rogue, I am a vast ocean of unexpected surprises."

"Well, the _vast_ part…"

"That's three Drake. You've reached your limit. One more and I cannot be held responsible for my actions."

_'Promises, promises.'_ Bobby sipped his coffee.

* * * * *

It was a fitful sleep. He tossed and turned fighting an invisible enemy. It was very uncharacteristic for him, who was known to be able to curl up almost anywhere for a quick catnap.

"Remy. Remy wake up." Ororo shook his shoulder.

"Huh? Wha--? Oh, s'you Stormy." Remy ran a hand through his hair and sat up on his elbows. He looked down at himself all tangled up in his sheets, sighed and dropped back down into his pillow.

"What time is it?"

She sat down on the bed next to him. "Still early. It is five thirty. I was going downstairs when I heard you. You usually sleep so quietly that I had to see what was wrong."

He patted Ororo's hand, which was resting on his arm.

"I'm okay Stormy. Don' worry 'bout me."

"No you most certainly are not okay. You cannot fool me Remy Le Beau." She said with a smile. "I know your demeanor too well. This has something to do with that information Scott and Jean brought you, does it not?"

Remy exhaled heavily, staring up at the ceiling.

"I, uh... Don' know what t't'ink."

"You seemed pretty sure it was not you when you told me about it last night. Has something changed your—your m—mind?"

"Stormy?"

"N-nothing. A headache. What made you so certain in the first place?"

"My own mind." Remy placed an arm over his eyes. "I made up my mind a long time ago 'bout my parents. Dey didn' want me. If dey wanted me, dey would'a kept me. Dey wouldn't a'… abandoned me."

"What? Remy what are you talking about?"

"…"

"Remy?"

He pulled himself into a seated position.

"…Never told you dis, Stormy. Never told no one but m'pere." [Pere: Fr: father]

He looked at her.

"You know how I tol' you dat Jean Luc took me in and adopt me when I was jus' a pup. Dat I was jus' a street rag runnin' around."

Ororo nodded.

"Well… I weren't _completely_ on my own out dere. I hung out wit dis crew… a man named Fagan was in charge. Sorta like your Achmed in a way, I suppose. 'Cept, in Fagan' mob, dere weren't no support. Every kid for 'imself. He who took d'most got d'most."

He sighed.

"My first memories—ever, were bein' wit Fagan's mob. He told me dat he found me when I was a baby. Out in a back ally somewhere, mixed up wit de garbage."

"Goddess, Remy…"

"So ya see, I didn' 'xactly grow up wit d'idea dat my real folks would gone to de trouble to make out a police report on me."

"But…"

"…But, dere was another t'ing in dat print up Jean give me. Somethin' dey wouldn't have known about."

"What?"

Remy reached over and opened the drawer of his night table. He pulled out the printout Jean had given him earlier and handed it to Ororo. She adjusted her position so that the light from the lamp she had turned on when she came in would shine on it. She let her eyes run over the paper for a moment and slowly began shaking her head.

"I do not see… Oh… Your birthmark."

Among the usual descriptions of eye and hair colour, there was also a mention of a small birthmark behind the child's left ear. Something Scott and Jean would not have known about. Ororo however had given Remy several haircuts and trims over the years, as he trusted few people enough to hold a pair of sharp scissors near his head. She _did_ know about it.

"The eyes. The mark. …That is some coincidence."

"Dat's what I was t'inkin'.

"What are you going to do?"

"Don't know. Wish I did."

* * * * *

8:35am

"Of course I do have my own doctor. It is just that he is also a close friend of mine. I did not wish to worry him unnecessarily—if this turns—turned out to be nothing."

"Yes. Dr. Henry McCoy. I am a great admirer of his research… Which may or may not benefit what I am about to say."

Ororo folded her hands in her lap, crossing her legs. Her face devoid of emotion, looked across the large desk towards Dr. Martin.

"Go on."

The doctor nodded and opened the file on his desk.

"The last battery of test we ran, came back positive."

"…I see."

"I'm afraid there's more. Your mutant DNA has, well, mutated your condition. It is proceeding at an extremely higher rate than expected."

"My constant fatigue, loss of appetite, loss of coordination and concentration…"

"Are all results of this rapid progression."

Ororo took a deep breath.

"…How long?"

"If we start you on treatments right away…"

"You would only be delaying the inevitable. I prefer to live by quality of life, not quantity."

"Well, as I was suggesting earlier, perhaps Dr. McCoy…"

"Has been doing absolutely no research on this topic. The majority of his time is spent studying the Legacy Virus. Besides, I checked his databank when I first suspected. There is nothing."

"I see."

"How long…?"

* * * * *

"Storm! _Move it_!"

With a running start, Wolverine pulled Ororo out of the air, an instant before a missile crossed the very spot she had been floating in. The both went crashing to the floor of the Danger Room. The simulation ended.

"Jeez, lady! Where's yer head today? With them winds ya had goin' ya should known it was comin' at ya!"

Wolverine, who had landed on Ororo's back, rolled off her and stood up. She didn't. She wasn't moving.

"Ro?" He knelt back down and slowly rolled her over, as the others present gathered around.

"Is she breathin'?" Rogue said, also kneeling down.

A moment later, Storm began violently coughing. Logan helped pull her up. "I think I just knocked the wind outta her."

Storm brought her hand up to her face. "I am sorry. I allowed myself to become distracted. Thank you, Logan."

"Maybe we should take her to the med lab, just in case."

"No! No, that will not be necessary. I think perhaps I should just return to my loft and rest. Get my head together."

"I'll take her."

She stood up. "That will not be necessary Jean, I can still find my own way." She left.

"Am Ah the only one round here who thinks she's been actin' weird lately?"

"If somethin's up, she'll let us know when she's ready."

* * * * *

"So dat's it." Remy finished. Jean Luc Le Beau walked slowly about the room eyes trained on the paper in his hand. His other hand stroked his moustache thoughtfully.

The two men were talking in Jean Luc's office in the Big Easy. Remy had taken a mini-jet down to Louisiana when he finally managed to role himself out of bed after his talk with Storm.

"So, I figure I find out where Fagan be hidin' himself these days and ask him what's up."

The senior Le Beau dropped his head.

"…Dere's… dere's no need for dat Remy."

"…Wha—? What you talkin' 'bout Pere?"

"Fagan… Fagan didn' find you in no ally Remy."

Gambit stood up from his chair. "What you talkin' 'bout Pere? How you know dat?"

Jean Luc turned around to face Remy.

"_I_ gave you to Fagan."

"Wha—"

"You were a—gift. To the Antiquary. He wanted you for his own, believing you were special among children. An angel's smile with the devil's eyes. But I couldn' stand d'idea of a child… _you_ growin' up in the Velvet Ministry wit dat vile creature."

Remy unknowingingly flopped back down into his chair.

The Velvet Ministry. The Thieves and Assassins weren't the only guilds running around the New Orleans. The Velvet Ministry was one neither of the aforementioned groups would mess with. It's leader, The Antiquary was a man of incredible power. All other Guilds and Clans paid homage and tribute to him to try to win his favor and _kindness_.

"…So… let me get dis straight. You kidnap me from d'Antiquary, cause you don' want me to be near dat man. So why you didn' just take me in right den?"

"When d'Antiquary found out you were missing, I would'a been d'first one he suspected. Fagan owed me one. Actually, he owe me a lot, so I get him to look after you. Didn't know a few years later, dat dis little street rat would try t'steal my wallet, and end up wormin' his way inta my heart."

Remy shook his head. "Why would he'a suspect you? Dere's lot's o clans who follow him. Why you?"

Jean Luc swallowed with difficulty.

"'Cause I'm d'one dat gave you to him."

Remy sat in stunned silence for several minutes.

When he finally spoke, it was as if he were more talking to himself than his father.

"You give me to D'Antiquary as a gift. Den you decide you don' like d'idea of d'man raising me, so you kidnap me from him and give me to Fagan. Den you take me outta Fagan's mob and adopt me." He looked up. "I missin' anythin' so far?"

"Didn' _want_ to give you to d'Antiquary in d'first place, but he wanted a baby boy. An' you know, what he wants, he gets. Every guild looked for a child, cause no one wanted t'give up dere own. Whoever found the right one hoped t'be favored if their foundling was chos—."

He stopped himself short seeing Remy's face. Remy narrowed his eyes.

"Where I come from, Pere. Where'd you really get me?"

"…Out of a hospital room in New Jersey."

"…"

"My cousin Marcus and some of our brood were up by dat way when d'call went out. We figured d'wider d'search, d'better out chance of findin' dat special child… You. D'last name on d'crib was French. Dat's what caught his attention. Den you opened dem eyes an'…"

Gambit stared up at Jean Luc completely dumfounded.

After a few minutes he stood up, shaking his head. It felt as though he were walking in a haze.

Jean Luc placed a hand on his arm.

"Son…"

Remy violently shook it off.

"_Don't!_"He yelled without looking at him. "Don't you touch me."

Still in his haze, Remy marched out the room, out of the house and didn't look back.

* * * * *

"Anyone seen Remy? Ah've been lookin' for him everywhere? Where is he?"

"Where do ya think?" Bobby answered. "He's at his second home."

"At this hour? By himself?" Rogue asked.

"Well, Storm and Logan went to get him a little while ago."

Rogue looked out the window at the quietly falling snow.

"He ain't dealin' with this well."

"Why? Just cause he moved into the bottom of a liquor bottle—"

"This ain't funny Drake! What if you found out you're past wasn't really your past and your folks weren't really who you thought they were."

Bobby looked over the top of the sports page with a raised eyebrow.

"…Well, okay. Maybe your family ain't the best example."

"To say the least." He muttered. "Do you even know the whole story? I mean, has he actually talked to you? I've just been piecing it together since he came back from The Big E."

"N-no. He hasn't talked to me. I think Storm knows and maybe Wolverine."

"And Scott and Jean are the ones who started this ball rolling."

"And the Prof.'s gotta know by know."

"So how'd we get thrown out of the loop? Well, I know why I am, but—"

"Don't even _think_ about going there, Bobby."

* * * * *

A half-hour later, Storm shoved Remy through the door of his bedroom. He flopped down on the edge of his bed.

"This is it, Remy. No more drinking. Not like that."

"Why shouldn't I? You think of a better time t'drink?"

"Remy…"

He started laughing. "Ironic ain't it. Me, master t'ief dat I am, was stolen right after I was born. Twice, actually. Three times if you count Jean Luc takin' me back from Fagan."

"Remy…"

"An' ya know what else is funny, t'ieves ain't supposed to put value on t'ings right. We pass t'ings around, only carin' 'bout d'value, what it can get us. An here d'guilds are, passin' _me_ round like some goods from a heist!"

His pitiful laughter was muffled as he placed his face in his hands.

"Remy…"

"I can't take dis!" He yelled as he stood up suddenly and threw a nearby lamp at the wall. It shattered loudly.

"Remy," Ororo tried again calmly. "Why do you not do something about it instead of feeling sorry for yourself?"

After the smash, Gambit had gone over and was leaning forward against a wall, his forehead resting on his arm. He looked up and Ororo could see that if he were not already so emotionally drained by all of this, he would be crying. He was slightly shaking.

"Like what, Stormy." He asked wearily. His eyes looked almost pleading behind their tiredness.

"Well… Somewhere out there… is a mother who has been looking for her son… for a very long time. Perhaps a father? Maybe some siblings."

"…I… I can't do dat, Stormy."

"Why not?"

"What am I supposed to do? Knock on the door and say, "Hi, mom! You been lookin' for me?""

"Why not?"

"Dey probably t'ink I'm dead."

"And they may think you are still alive."

"Dey moved on wit dere lives."

"And this Christmas, there may be a twenty-five year old stocking still hanging over the fireplace."

"An' if dey don' want a mutant son?"

"They would not have been looking for you on in the first place. That was not a state written report. It was a family written one."

"…"

"Do not decide right now. Sleep on it for a day or so. But stop wallowing in self-pity. If not for your own sake, then for mine. I cannot bare seeing you like this." Her voice cracked slightly at the end of her sentence, causing Remy to wince.

He walked over and hugged Ororo.

"Sorry, Stormy."

"Do not apologize. Just _do_ something about it." Still in the hug, she smacked him in the back of the head. "And do not call me '_Stormy_'.

To Be Continued…


	2. OSFTSB2

Disclaimer:Any characters previously mentioned in a Marvel Comic, I do not own.Marvel does.I'm not making money off of this.****

**One Step Forward, Two Steps Back**

Part Two

_'What you doin' here LeBeau? You mus' be outta your t'ievin' mind.'_

Remy quietly paced back and forth outside the apartment door.

_'Dis is stupid! I'm outta here!'_

He got three steps away from the door before he stopped and dropped his head.

_'Coward.'_

He turned and went back to the door.

_'3… 2… 1…'_

{KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK}

_'Now run, you fool.'_

He never got the chance. The music and voiced quieted and the door opened. A beautiful middle aged woman stood there and smiled.

"Hello, Merry Christmas."

"H—hello." He stuttered. _'It's her…'_

"May I help you?" She asked, still smiling.

"Uh, I, uh… My name's Remy LeBeau, ma'am. I'm—I'm lookin' for someone. Uh, Danielle LaRoche?"

"You've found her."

Remy was suddenly having a difficult time breathing. It did not go unnoticed.

"Are you alright?" She stepped forward and touched one of Remy's hands.

"Why, you're an ice cube! Come in."

Remy was cold, mostly because before he was pacing in front of this door, he had spent twenty minutes pacing in the snow in front of the apartment building.

"T'anks." He said stepping inside.

There were several other people in the room. Three men, two women and a little girl who looked to be around two or three years old. They were decorating the apartment and tree in holiday flavor.

_'Oh, boy.'_

"Ma, who's this?" Asked one of the men. He had a friendly but questioning smile.

"This is Mr. LeBeau."

"A little dark out for sunglasses, Mr. LeBeau." The man said extending his hand, which Remy shook.

"Sensitive eyes." Remy said, with a shy grin.

"This is my eldest son, John." Mrs. LaRoche said. "So, Mr. LeBeau, how can I help… you? H-have we met before? You look awfully familiar."

"I—uh, well." Remy shook his head. "I'm sorry. Dis was a mistake." He turned to the door."

"Wait." She held out her hand to stop him. "You came here. You must have wanted something."

Remy turned to face her again.

"I—I jus' t'ink maybe dis was bad timing." He motioned towards the tree. "What with the holidays an' all. Didn' want to bring up anyt'ing… well…"

"Well, now I have to know. You've peeked my curiosity. Out with it."

Remy sighed.

"Ma'am, um, did you, um." {SIGH} "Some years ago, did you file a report for a missing child…? A baby?"

There was a crash from the direction of the tree. One of the ladies had dropped a glass ornament and was staring at him, as were everyone else in the room.

He turned back to Mrs. LaRoche who was standing frigidly still, her face a frozen mask. Only her eyes indicated that Remy had hit a nerve.

She swallowed with some difficulty.

"Yes, I did. Twenty-five years ago." She spoke in a low, steady voice. "My last child was stolen from my hospital room in the middle of the night. He was two days old. I was supposed to take him home the next morning…"

"What's this about?" John asked more sternly.

"You're a cop, right?" One of the other men said. "Let me guess. The statute of limitation is up and you want to dump the file."

"There is no statute of limitation on a kidnapping, Steven." The woman who had dropped the ornament hissed.

"Maybe they found the body." John muttered.

"John!" The other woman reprimanded.

"Non, non! It's nothin' like dat."

"Then what is this about Mr. LeBeau?" Danielle LaRoche asked, her voice still low and steady.

"…I…"

Remy shook his head. _'No turnin' back.'_

He cautiously reached up and removed his dark glasses. His eyes remained closed. Remy faced Mrs. LaRoche again, then slowly opened them.

Danielle gasped and took a step back, her and covered her mouth.

"I t'ink… dat I'm d'one you been lookin' for." He said turning around so the others could see. Their reactions were similar to Danielle's.

"Daddy what's wrong with his eyes?" The little girl asked John.

"I…" This time it was John's turn to be speechless.

Remy closed his eyes and shook his head slightly.

"Dis was a mistake. I shouldn't a' come. I'm sorry." He tried to leave again, but Mrs. LaRoche ran in front of him.

"No! Please…" She hesitantly put her hand up to his face, as though if she touched him, he would disappear. "Are you really…?"

"How…"

"I don't believe this…"

"Weren't dat easy for me either."

"Jason… You look like Jason, my younger brother. He died years ago, but you… you look just like him."

She studied his face carefully then her eyes flickered over towards his left ear.

"I've got d'mark." He said sensing what she was thinking. He folded his ear down to show her. "See."

Mrs. LaRoche gasped again, then through her arms around Remy.

"My baby! My baby, my baby." She whispered over and over again.

Remy cautiously brought his own arms around the now weeping woman.

_'Dis ain't happening. I hug her, and she disappear.'_

But he did… and she didn't.

"Daddy, is he hurting Grandma?" The little girl asked.

"No Cindy."

"Then why is she crying?"

"She's happy."

"…I don't understand."

"Neither do I honey." He said picking up the girl. "I think that this is going to take a little explaining."

* * * * *

"Henry."

Hank jumped and fumbled the beaker he was holding like a football. He caught it before it hit the floor.

"I think we should hold a contest to determine which one of you moves the more stealthily, Ororo: you or Logan?"

"I apologize for… um…" She shook her head. "…startling you… Henry."

"Ororo?"

She made certain the door behind her was closed, then sat down on one of the stools next to a lab table. There was a folder in her hand.

_'She looks far too tired.'_ "I heard about what happened in the Danger Room the other day. How are you feeling?"

Ororo gave a weak smile. "Poorly. But… I am afraid the cause began long before this morning's exercise."

"Really?"

He waited for him to continue. Instead, she held the folder out to him. He took hold of it but she held on.

"Henry, as a physician, I will expect full confidentiality with this."

"Of course, Ororo. You know me well enough not to have to question that."

She nodded and released the form. Picking up a glass stir-stick, she watched her hand as she twirled it between her fingers over the table. She did not wish to see Henry read her file.

He read silently for a few minutes, then slapped the file close. He hopped off his stool and went to one of his computers, frantically typing away.

Eyes still glued on the twirling stick as her arm rested on the table, Ororo sighed.

"Henry…"

"We can start you on Grohyden Trioxiden. It's a new treatment, but it has been giving excellent results." He wasn't looking at her either.

"Hank…"

"I don't have the medical ingredients in the right dosage, but I can have them sent over from NYU right away."

"Hank." She finally looked up at him.

"At this advanced stage…"

"Hank!" She clapped a hand on his shoulder and turned him to face her.

"I am dying. And there is nothing you or anyone else can do to stop it."

"Well, I suppose I should be honored you decided to share these results with me. Since you obviously didn't have enough faith in my medical ability to come to me with this in the first place!"

"It wasn't like that Hank, I swear it! I have every faith in your abilities. You are a brilliant scientist and doctor."

She took a breath.

"But you are also a close friend. When my health started to fail and I began to suspect… I did not want to put you through needless worry. Not unless there was reason. I did not want to see you look at me the way you are now, unless it was absolutely necessary."

Hank sat back down on his stool.

"I'm sorry, Ororo. That was completely unprofessional of me."

"No apologies are needed my friend."

He flipped open the folder again. "Dr. Martin. He's very good."

"He said the same about you."

"You do play the odds Ororo. An adult mutant with Cancer – Striker's Leukemia, the rarest, most vicious and most recently discovered form. Your, x-factor gene is mutating the disease. You fight against the dangers of the universe and come out virtually unscaved… and this…"

Ororo gave a weak smile. "Everything happens for a reason, Henry."

"I can find no _reason_ in this." He said abruptly, shaking his head and tossing the folder down onto the table. They were both silent for a moment.

"Why have you come to me Ororo? If you do not want treatment, why come to me?"

Ororo folded her hands slowly.

"I… need you to give me something for the pain, the dizzyness. Nothing too strong mind you, I would like to keep my head about me."

She inhaled deeply. "I… thought, I could handle it… but it is getting progressively worse. My concentration is faltering. There are… things… that I need to take care of. I need to set things in order."

"I… can have something for you within the hour."

She nodded.

"I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you." He rubbed his eyes. "I don't want to believe this is happening."

"Please Henry. Do not bury yourself in a cloud of doubt. I need you here."

She hugged him tightly.

He returned the hug. "I shall be here fair lady. For as long as you need me."

"That is all I ask. Well… that and if you could possibly withhold this information from the others… for as long as possible."

"…Aye, for as long as possible. My word lady."

* * * * *

"Good morning, Rem—whoo!"

"Mornin' Stormy!"

"Remy, Please…"

"Huh? Sorry. Hey, you okay? You don' look so hot."

"I am fine. It is just when you spin me around like that… so early in the morning."

"Sorry. I'm jus' happy. You sure you okay?"

"I am still standing, am I not? I take it things went well last evening."

"Better dan dat. Perfect! It was amazing! I met ma mere… plus I got two older brothers an' an older sister. Also got a niece. She t'ree years old. You gotta meet my ma, Stormy. She beautiful like an angel, smart she got a sharp wit and a tongue to match…"

"I am starting to see the resemblance."

Remy stopped walking and Storm did likewise. His face was dead serious.

"She never stopped wantin' t'find me, Stormy. She never gave up on me. Ain't nobody ever care 'bout me like dat Stormy… 'cept for you 'course. Everyone else at one time or ano'der, dey give up. From Jean Luc to… Rogue. But dis lady don' know me five minutes an' I can see it. Can't do no wrong in dis woman's eyes."

"Is that not what mothers are for?"

He grinned.

"I wan' you t'meet her."

"O-of course. But do you not think _you_ should get to know her a little more first? Spend a little time with her."

"Mmm. Maybe."

"Gambit? You're actually on time for a morning session?"

Cyclops and Phoenix, coming from the opposite direction, met up with Storm and Gambit, right in front of the Danger Room doors.

"Cyke, Jean. Jus' the folks I wanted t'see."

"Really?" They could see his right eyebrow raise above his visor.

"Yeah, really. I wanted t'thank you. Both of you."

"For what?"

"Remy has found his mother."

"Wit d'info y'all gave me, didn' take more'n a few clicks t'find her. She livin' in the city now. 'Bout an hour away."

"Remy that's wonderful!"

"Is that where you were all evening?"

"Yeah. Met my whole family too."

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile so much Remy." Jean said.

Remy shrugged happily. "What can I say? I feel good. You ready t'go trash some robots Stormy?"

"Actually, I shall be monitoring today. Logan will be replacing me as field leader."

Remy knitted his brow questioning. "Okay… So you be my angel over d'battlefield den, neh?"

"Always."

To Be Continued…


	3. OSFTSB3

Disclaimer:Any characters previously mentioned in a Marvel Comic, I do not own.Marvel does.I'm not making money off of this.****

**One Step Forward, Two Steps Back**

Part Three

"Maybe dis weren't such a good idea. It be too soon."

"Well, they are already on their way, Remy. It is too late."

"Who's idea was this t'ing anyway?"

"The Professor's. But you booked no opposition. It is about time your two families met."

"Yeah, but…"

{DING, DONG}

"Oy."

Ororo clapped a hand on his shoulder and led the man from his dresser mirror, out the room.

"Come my friend. Time to face the music."

"Oy." He groaned.

It had been several weeks since Remy found her and he had been shocked one day when his mother had asked, "So, how long _have_ you been an X-Man?" Danielle had figured out his _occupation_. She had a quick mind, so it hadn't taken her long to figure out. She was also wise enough to know that this was not new Remy wanted broadcasted. It gave Remy a warm feeling to think that his quick deduction skills had a source. His abilities had not come out of thin air.

The holidays had come and gone. Remy had spent a great deal of time with his newly found family, and Ororo had even consented to meeting them the previous week.

Remy had been fretting about feeling as though he were imposing on Danielle by always being over there. The Professor suggested that for a change, Remy invite his family over to _his_ place.

And now they were at the door. And Remy was looking for the nearest rock to hide under.

Coming to the top of the stairs, they could see Bobby had already let them into the lobby and was taking their coats. John and his wife Lana, Marie, his sister and her husband Mark, Steven, Cindy, and of course Danielle.

"Unc'a Remy!" Cindy squealed and ran to him, barely out of her coat.

Remy picked her up in a hug.

"Hey, petite."

"Say it! Say it!"

"Comment ca va aujourd 'hui, petite?" (Fr: How are you today, little one?)

Cindy covered her mouth and giggled. She loved it when her new Uncle Remy "_talked the funny talk_".

"Jeez, Remy. Ya could'a mentioned this place was the size of Buckingham palace." John joked. "I was convinced this was the wrong place till we saw the sign."

"Well it is a school, John." Danielle said. She walked over and gave Remy a tight hug, once he'd put Cindy down.

The rest of the household had filed into the foyer. Most of them anyway. Marrow wasn't interested in dining with the rest of the team on normal occasions. She wasn't about to attend this little "family get-together". The second missing member was Rogue. In the months following his return from exile in Antarctica, Remy had scarce said ten words to Rogue. She said even less.

Remy, a little more shyly than the X-Men were use to, made the introductions. When Mr. and Mrs. Summers were introduced, Mrs. LaRoche gave them both a wide hug.

"Thank you so much for bringing my boy back to me."

Scott scratched his head awkwardly.

"Well, we didn't want him anymore, anyway." Jean said jokingly.

"Okay, I t'ink dat's enough embarrassing Remy for one night." He said, ushering everyone away from the foyer.

"Oh, no. We plan on spreading the embarrassment throughout the evening." Bobby said. "I mean how often do we get a chance like this."

"Is it too late for me t'leave?" Remy whispered loudly to Storm.

"Yes."

"Damn."

* * * * *

Remy climbed the stairs to Storm's attic apartment. He found it more than a little odd that she had not been down to breakfast this morning, even to say hello if she was not going to eat. He ran into Hank coming out, when he reached the door.

"Henri? Everyt'ing okay?"

"Oh, fine, fine, Remy. Ororo is just feeling a little run-down this morning—a headache and what not. I believe she has contracted that flu bug that is going around."

"Uh-huh." Remy said flatly. The fact that Hank was not looking him in the eye did not go unnoticed.

"Can I see her?"

"Oh, of course. Of Course." Hank waved him on.

Remy nodded and hopped up the lead steps to the attic landing and into Ororo's room. He didn't see her.

"'Roro?"

"…"

"Stormy?"

Ororo stuck her head out of her walk-in closet.

"Good morning, Remy." She said with a smile, then went back in.

"You didn' know I was here? You always know when so much as a fly set foot up here."

"Oh… I am… out of sorts this morning-- a headache and such. The beginnings of a cold… nothing of consequence."

"…You don' get colds Stormy."

She walked out of the closet a silk wrap in her hand. Ororo shrugged and smiled again weakly.

"There is a first time for everything my friend." She said softly. "Is this what you came up here for?"

"'Course. You weren't downstairs… gotta come see where my Stormy is."

"And…" She placed the wrap around her shoulders and proceeded to water the small plants along the one of her windowsills.

"And what?"

"And what else? What was it you wanted to talk to me about? I can see it in your face."

Remy sat on the edge of her bed.

"…I t'ink I'm gonna tell her."

"Tell her what?" Ororo automatically took the _"her"_ to mean Danielle as Remy had talked about little else lately.

"Everyt'ing. 'Bout me bein' a t'ief, 'bout d'Guilds… Sinister."

"Sinister?!" Ororo spun around, and tried to ignore the head-rush it gave her by placing her hand on the sill. "Are you certain? I mean… at such an early time…"

"…Longer I wait, harder it gonna be t'tell. Been d'ere before… Couldn' stand dat again. Better she kick me to d'curb now den round Mother's Day."

"Oh, Remy… I am certain it will not be that way."

Gambit shrugged, sadly.

Ororo pointed at him. "Walk in with that face and you shall have her eating out of your hands."

He laughed and she went back to her plants.

"If she sees in you what I do… you have nothing to worry about. You are too hard on yourself. You never forgive yourself for anything. Those few who would still strive to make you feel guilty are not worth you worry or time. Life is too short to be spent worrying about things in the past… or things we cannot change. Enjoy what you have now, Remy. Tell your mother. And once she has forgiven you, please, once and for all, forgive yourself and move on."

"T'anks, Stormy."

Ororo continued water.

"…Ain't ya gonna tell me not to call you Stormy?"

Remy could see the edge of a sad little smile from Ororo's reflection in the glass. She stopped her tending once more for a second, then continued.

"No." she said quietly.

Remy raised an eyebrow.

* * * * *

_'Why don' she jus' disown me and get it over wit?'_ Remy thought.

When he'd gone to visit Danielle, Remy suggested a walk. The day was pleasantly warm, but Remy's true reason was that he didn't think he could sit still while telling what he was about to tell.

They walked through the park as he told his tale, and Danielle listened intently. When he'd finished she said nothing.

That was fifteen minutes ago.

They were now sitting across each other in a little coffee shop, each staring down at their own beverage in their hands.

Remy dared not speak. He was afraid any sound he made now would shatter her into a million pieces right before his eyes.

Instead he took a sip of his Capachino.

"Remy…" Danielle said quietly and found she couldn't stifle a small laugh when he looked up in surprise-- a foam moustache covering his top lip.

He shyly wiped it away with a napkin.

Danielle looked down a moment and then back up to her son.

"Remy, why did you tell me all of this?"

"Why?"

"Chances are I never would have found out about it otherwise."

"…I lied 'bout it for years to d'people I was closest to. It almost ruined everyt'ing I had wit dem. I don'… didn' want dat t'happen wit you. Figured if… ya never wanted to set eyes on me again, it'd be easier for you too. B'fore… well… b'fore…"

"…I got too attached? Honey, that happened the moment I saw those _baby reds_ of yours." She reached out and touched the side of his face.

He blushed slightly. Another first.

"I'm very proud of the young man I see sitting in front of me. He's honorable and has a kind heart."

Remy looked down and began to shake his head.

"…And he's made some mistakes. Big ones." She touched his hand. "But a _blind_ man could see how sorry you are for them."

"Dat I am."

"What you did for that man… Sinister, was it?… You didn't take money for it."

"How you know dat?"

"Because I'm getting to know you. You would not do something that serious without a serious reason. And money isn't worth that much. I know that more than anything, you want-- need to belong somewhere or to someone. And when you don't feel that, when you're not secure—you do stupid things." She smiled. "I'm the same way."

Remy raised an eyebrow. "What'd you do?"

She sat back and laughed. "_Maybe_ I'll tell you… when you're a little older."

This set Remy to laughing.

Danielle took a sip.

"I love you, Remy and I always will. Never doubt that. And what you've told me, you have my confidence. It is going to take me a while to really absorb it all. Your life is so… unusual. The thing you do, or have done are still a little surreal to me."

"You forgive me den?"

  
"You have nothing to ask me for forgiveness for. Your actions weren't against me."

"Dey were against any decent person in d'city. 'Specially you."

"…And you'll never work for that monster again?"

"Dey be ice skating in Hades first."

"… I forgive you then. But only if you forgive yourself as well."

"You sound like Stormy."

"She's smart. …Well?"

Remy dropped his head.

"Remy…" She said in a motherly/scolding voice.

He smiled despite of himself. "All right, all right. I forgive me too."

"Good. Now finish your Cap before it gets cold."

"Yes'm."

* * * * *

Remy walked in the front door his head in a bit of a fog. If it weren't for his heightened, quick reflexes, he would have been hit in the face with a flying basketball. He caught it only a hair away from his face.

"Hey, Cajun. 'Tryin' ta get a game together. Wanna join?"

"Jubilee?"

"The one and only." She said coming down the stairs. "Hey, I heard about the family thing. Congrats!"

"T'anks. Whatcha ya doin' up here? Long way t'go t'play hooky."

Jubilee rolled her eyes. "Uhhh! Don't even get me started on that subject. I just talked Jean's ear off about it. Some _people_ are getting on my nerves. That's why Wolvie suggested I come home for a couple of days. Cool off b'fore I _fry_ somebody."

"Uh-huh." Remy chest passed the ball back to her. "Dat somebody's name wouldn't begin wit an _"M"_ now would it?"

"I confess nothing. So you wanna join?"

"Who's playin'?"

"So far, Wolvie, Kitty, Ice-boy and the Ruskie."

"C'lossus play basketball?"

"Gonna find out."

"Dis I gotta see."

* * * * *

Ororo sat down at her vanity; a rare thing as Ororo spent precious little time looking at herself in mirror. There were a few odd bottles of perfume, rarely used, and nail polish scattered about the faux black marble counter top.

She picked up a small but intricately fashioned bottle of perfume that Wolverine had brought her from his last trip to the Orient. She sniffed it lightly—a light orchid scent. She placed the fragile container back to its place and looked hard at herself in the mirror.

_'Are you in there?'_

The blue eyes staring back at her looked up and traced around her hairline, then down to her chin. It studied the shape of her mouth and her nose, then back up to match her eyes.

The colour of the sky was still strong there, but the eyes seemed distant and disconnected.

"Ororo?"

The eyes in the mirror looked past Ororo to the doorway behind her.

"Jean." She said smiling.

Jean sat beside Ororo on the cushioned stool, facing the opposite direction. She said nothing for several seconds.

"…Are you _ever_ going to tell me?"

"…Tell you what?"

"What's wrong with you."

"…"

Ororo opened her mouth to say something, then changed her mind. She stared back into the mirror.

Jean dropped her head.

"…Okay. Then just tell me you're going to be all right."

"I am all right, Jean. I have a wonderful life, I live with people who love and care about me. Things are all right." She looked a Jean. "I am happy."

Jean shook her head and hugged Ororo.

"You-are-a-mule, you know that?"

"And I am not going to change." She said returning the hug with a smile.

Jean stood up and put a hand on Ororo's shoulder. "You do know that there is nothing you can't ask…"

"I know." Ororo said patting Jean's hand.

Jean nodded and left. Ororo brought her eyes back to the mirror.

_'Smoke and mirrors.'_

* * * * *

"What is it with this house and pancakes anyway?" Jubilee asked.

"We haven't had them for a few days."

"Yeah, but when we do, it's like a national holiday or something."

"Well, if you don't want any…"

"Well now I didn't say that."

"Where's Remy? He's usually the first one down for pancakes."

"He's taking his mom out for breakfast then they're spending the morning together."

  
"Again?"

"They have a lot t'catch up on."

"Make room!" Jean said placing the first of many stacks down on the table. "Did anyone see Storm up there this morning?"

"She sleepin' in again?" Logan asked.

"I'll get her." Jubilee said swallowing a forkful of 'cake and hopping up from the table. "I wanna borrow something of hers anyway." She ran out the door. "Drake, stay away from my cakes!" she yelled back. "That means you too blue boy."

"We didn't do nuthin'!"

"Ah think that school's havin' a strange influence on that girl."

* * * * *

"Storm? Ororo?"

Jubilee knocked as she ran up into Ororo's loft.

"Storm? Hey you awake?"

She looked into her bedroom. The bed was made.

_'Well, she must be up.'_

"Ororo?"

Jubilee walked into the greenhouse area. "Hey, Rain Lady?"

_'Maybe she's out on one of her cloud walk—'_

Jubilee froze in her tracks. Something behind a large planter caught her eye. She took a step forward… and then another.

_'Wha— Is that a—?'_

"Oh my god!"

She ran towards the arm that she saw lying on the floor. Coming around the planter, she saw Ororo lying partly on her side—mostly on her front on the wooden floor. A now-empty water can lay discarded just above the outstretched hand Jubilee had seen.

_'Ohmygodohmygodohmygod.'_

Jubilee turned Ororo over and checked for a pulse. It was racing. Her breath was far too shallow and her eyes were rolled back in her head.

"Oh m—Ororo!" Jubilee shook her. "Ororo wake up! Oh, please wake up!"

She stood up and ran to the door. She stopped in the doorway but didn't leave, opting to scream at the top of her lungs instead.

"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!!!"

To Be Continued…


	4. OSFTSB4

Disclaimer:Any characters previously mentioned in a Marvel Comic, I do not own.Marvel does.I'm not making money off of this.**__**

**_Note:_**** Warning: Chapter contains adult language.**

**One Step Forward, Two Steps Back**

Part Four 

"You knew about this all these months and you never told us?" 

"It was not my place to do so, Scott. Ororo requested I keep it to myself, and I could not violate the doctor, patient privila—" 

"Screw the damn privilege Hank. This is family. You should have told us!" Logan growled. 

"All the more reason she didn't want anyone here to know. She didn't even tell me about her condition until she needed something to keep her going. She didn't want us feeling sorry for her." 

"It was Ororo's choice and her right to keep this from us." Charles said. "We should not be blaming Henry for this." 

"Hank," Jean said calmly. "Isn't there anything you can do?" 

Henry shook his head. "Her state advanced too quickly. By the time she went to see Dr. Martin, it was already too late. Without her knowledge I have been doing testing but have found nothing." 

"How—how bad is she?" Jubilee asked. I mean… how much time… before…" 

The Doctor closed his eyes. "…At the most… Twenty-Four hours." 

"What?!" 

"Her system is completely shutting itself down. By tomorrow night, if she's still with us, Ororo will be living by the aid of machines alone." 

The door to the med lab waiting area slid open. 

"Hey, what everybody doin down here?" Remy asked walking in. He'd come and the mansion appeared to be empty. The computer, when asked, revealed they were all in the medical area. 

"Wha's goin' on?" 

"…" 

No one spoke. Remy looked around the room suspiciously. 

"Where's Ororo?" 

"…Remy…" Rogue began slowly. 

He looked at her, then at everyone else. A sudden jolt went through him and Remy bolted for the med lab door. 

"Remy, wait…!" 

Remy ignored Hank but stopped short when he entered the room. Ororo was in a Shi'ar Medical bed. She was hooked up to both a ventilator and a heart monitor. He walked over to the bed and put his hands on one of the raised sides. 

Most of the others had followed him in. 

"…What's wrong? What happened to her?" 

"She has Striker's Cancer Remy. …Ororo is dying." 

"Dat can't be." 

"It's true." 

"She would'a tol' me." 

"Remy…" 

"What can you do for her? How can ya stop dis?" 

"Nothing." 

"What do ya mean nothing?!" For the first time Remy turned away from Ororo and glared at Hank. "I t'ought you was one of the best doctors on d'planet!" 

"I have done everything possible Remy. I have contacted the most advanced sources in the world. This Cancer is too new. It is beyond our abilities." 

"Non." 

"Remy…" The Professor began. 

"Non!" He yelled and marched past them again out of the room. 

No one followed him this time. 

_'Why didn' I see dis? I should'a seen dis! Too wrapped up in my own damn selfish life. My Stormy needed me an' I weren't dere!'_

Remy reached the carport and sat on his Harley. 

_'Stormy can't die. Not gonna let dis happen.'_

He started the engine and drove off. 

_'It ain't gonna happen.'_

* * * * *

A test tube rolling off his desk and hitting the floor caused Hank to jump awake. He had fallen asleep in his office again. The clock on the wall read 7am. He patted the pockets of his lab coat looking for his glasses before realizing they were sitting out of place on his head. He took them off and put them back on properly. 

He got up from his chair, stretched, walked to the door leading to the main med lab and nearly had a heart attack. 

Ororo was sitting up in the medical bed, her feet hanging over the side. She was rubbing the back of her neck and proceeded to disconnect the heart monitor. An alarm went off which startled her. Henry ran over to the main system and turned it off. 

He stood there staring with his hands still on the machine. 

"Ororo?" 

"Hank? What am I doing down here?" 

Hank just continued to stare with his mouth wide open. 

* * * * *

"She is almost in complete remission. It is as though the cancer is deleting itself!" 

"How is that possible?" 

"Well, there have been cases of spontaneous remission, but never at this speed. Actually, it usually it means a cancer goes into remission without any form of medical, so this doesn't even fall into that category." He sat back in the chair in a huff and through up his hands. "I'm at a loss. And you know what? At this moment, I don't care." 

It was eight thirty. The X-Men had awakened to the happy news that Ororo was alive and well. Jean was in the med lab, helping Ororo dress. Although she was recovering, her body was still very fatigued from all of the trauma. The other occupants of the house, most of them, were now gathered in the rec room, waiting to see their beloved teammate. 

Rogue came in the room. 

"Guys, Remy's gone. Ah went up there and most of his stuff is gone. The things that are important to him anyway. Some clothes and personal stuff. His closet and drawers were almost empty." 

"You were searching?" Scott asked. 

"Ah started to after I saw these on his bed." She held out Remy's team communicator and a small card with the words _'Time To Be Movin' On'_ written on it in Gambit's handwriting. "And his Harley's gone." 

"Great." Logan muttered. 

"He must be distressed about Storm. He doesn't know she's okay." Kitty said. 

"I will use Cerebro to search for him." Charles said. "After, I see Ororo." 

"There could be an easier way." Sam said picking up the phone. "Don't think he'd go away without letting his mama know where he is. Not as close as those two have gotten." 

"Now I remember why I like you, kid." Logan said with a laugh. 

* * * * *

Unfortunately, the only effect of the phone call was to worry Danielle. She hadn't heard from Remy since he'd dropped her off the afternoon before. 

This worried Storm as well, which no one wanted to happen. 

The Professor put out a search using Cerebro. The initial scans came up with nothing. Remy had always been a hard person to read telepathically, but since his return from Antarctica and the revelation of all his major secrets, he had been more trusting. Jean and the Professor were always able to contact him… if he _wanted_ to be contacted. 

* * * * *

Remy lay on his back, arms folded behind his head, staring up in the dark to the ceiling. There was no moon that night so even though there was no covering on the small window, the room remained dark. 

The door to the small room opened and a large silhouette stood in the frame. 

"He wants to see you." 

"What for?" 

"To talk." 

"Tell 'im t'go t'hell." 

"Oh, he'll like that." 

"An' you go with 'im." 

"If you're going to be such an ass, why did you come back in the first place?" 

"Dat ain't your business." 

"We don't need you." 

"Your boss t'ink different." 

"He's your boss too." 

"I be my own boss." 

"That were true," the voice said backing out of the doorway. "you wouldn't be here." 

The door closed. 

Remy looked up to the small window near the ceiling. He could just make out a few tiny flakes of white dancing out there. 

_'I'm in hell.'_ He thought. _'An' it's snowin'.'_

* * * * *

Someone was watching her. She could feel it. The hair on the back of her neck was standing up. 

Ororo turned from the shop window and looked around the busy street. I was her first time out by herself since her miraculous recovery. She had decided to do a little window shopping downtown. She actually had to threaten to tie the others up before they would let her go out on own her own. She had to promise to call every half and hour. 

Scanning the street, Ororo panned until she was looking towards the area she felt the stare was coming from. It was a crowded corner on the opposite side of the street and down a bit. 

It took her a moment, the crowd was moving very fast—but there was someone among them standing very still. 

_'Remy?'_

He was leaning against the brick corner staring right at her, a sad little smile on his face. She made her way over to him as quickly as possible and threw herself at him in a hug. He received her in kind. 

"Remy! Where have you been?" 

"It's good ta see ya up an' around like dis Stormy." 

"My illness is in remission. I am fine now_. Where have you been?_" 

Remy shrugged slowly. 

"Felt like I needed to be cuttin' out for a while." 

"I read your note. What is it you are not telling me?" 

He shook his head. "Nothin' Stormy. Dere's nothin'." He glanced at his watch and pushed off the wall. "I gotta be goin' Stormy." His kissed her on the cheek. 

"Pressing engagement?" 

He grinned. "Somethin' like that." 

"Remy…" 

"Storm… I'm glad t'see you up and around Stormy." 

He started to walk away. 

"What about Danielle?" 

He stopped but didn't turn around. 

"Been thinkin'… maybe it be better she don't see me for a while. Been takin' up all her time. She got other pups dat need her too." 

"So when are you going to start telling me the truth." 

"Don' know. Maybe I wait as long as you did to tell me d'truth. Oh, dat's right! Ya never did tell me d'truth. I come home and find you dyin' in a hospital bed." 

A few people turned to look as Remy raised his voice. 

"…I…" 

Remy shook his head. "I'm sorry Stormy. I-I shouln' a said dat." 

"…No…No. You had a right to." 

"Jus' when I saw you like dat in d'med lab…" 

"I—I know. My reasons for not telling anyone were purely selfish. I admit that. But I can not say that I would do things differently if…" 

"No 'if', Stormy. Don't do d' 'if'." 

She smiled slightly. 

"When you are ready to talk Remy… whatever it is…" 

"I t'ink I remember d'address." 

She gave him another hug. 

"Do not be gone too long, my friend." 

"…I'll try, Stormy." 

* * * * *

Remy walked into his new employer's office without knocking. The site of him… just being in the presence Mr. Sinister made Gambit want to retch. 

"Where were you?" 

"My business." 

"I have work for you to do. You and the others." 

"What?" 

"This mutant." He brought up an image of a man on the computer screen. "He works for me, but has not been responding to my summons as of late." 

"Smart man." 

"I want you to retrieve him. Bring him to me by any means." 

"I ain't killin' no one an' neider are any o' dem." 

"Have you discussed that with them." 

"Ain't nuthin' t'discuss. Ain't no one dyin' long as I'm around. …Less one o your pups get outta hand." 

"I'm sure your team would have some opinions about that." 

Remy placed his hands flat on the table and leaned towards his employer angrily, red eye to red eye. 

"DEY—AIN'T—MY—TEAM!" 

"They are now, Remy. Oh, and incidentally, I have informed them of the reason for return, and that you will be leading them under my authority. You, as they, belong to me now, Remy. Do not forget that. If I want either them, or you to kill—to slaughter a hundred people, you will do so without question." He tilted his head to the side. "You remember what that's like, don't you Remy?" 

Remy clenched his fists; his nails digging into his palms so hard, they nearly bled. 

"…I'm outta here." He said trying to control his voice. 

"Fine. I shall be sure to send a bouquet of flowers to your friend's funeral." 

Remy spun around and stared hard at the creature sitting behind the metal desk. 

"She already cured. Dere ain't nuthin' you can do t'her." 

The creature actually laughed. Such a rare feet that it sent spikes of ice down Remy's spine. 

"Did you really believe I would give Storm a full cure? What would that serve to keep you here? You are a man of honor but I know even you have your limits. You would not stay long on your word alone. Your actions here are proof of that." 

"What do you mean you didn't give her a cure?!?!" 

"You wanted your friend to live did you not? Well… she will live… as long as you continue to do my bidding." 

"What did you give her?" 

"I gave her a mask." 

"A what?" 

"A mask. What I created for you to inject her with was not something to cure the cancer. It seeks out all the cancerous cells in the body and envelops them—but does not destroy them. The cells are still there but they no longer active, they do not multiply or spread, they no longer feed on the body. Quite ingenious if I may say so myself." 

Remy narrowed his eyes. 

"The mask disguises itself as normal read blood cells or amino acids in the body. Your hairy doctor would not know it was there unless he was actually looking for it. And I am not even certain that someone with his limited scientific ability would be able to do that much." 

Remy was surprised at the sudden urge to defend Hank's medical and scientific ability. But he realized that Sinister was insulting someone who, in his heart, if his mind would not admit it, was family. 

"So… what? You mean she gotta be injected with dis again t'keep dis goin'?" The thought of this worried Gambit. He would have a hard time explaining sneaking into Ororo's room in the middle of the night to inject her with something she didn't know she needed. 

"No, of course not. My serums belong to me. I want as few of them outside of here as possible." 

"Den how exactly you planin' doin' dis little blackmail?" 

"Blackmail? Remy, you wound me. Remember, it was you who sought me out." He leaned back in his chair. "The mask can be dissolved with a simple amino solution. Once it is injected into the blood, the mask disappears and the cancer picks up where it left off. And as I recall you telling me, where it left off was on dear Ororo's deathbed." 

"You'd hafta get near her first. I'd never let dat happen." 

Sinister folded his hands. 

"When walking down a normal street, as you did today for example, how many people did you touch? How many touched you? A simple brush… A simple prick of a needle… Your friend will be dead inside of forty-eight hours… If that long." 

"…" Remy stood back, his mouth open in disbelief. 

"So, young sir. What will it be? Are you in or out?" 

"…" Remy pressed his lips into a tight straight line. He turned and headed for the door. "Ain't killin'." 

"Whatever. Just get the job done." 

"Fuck off." He said as the door was sliding shut behind him. 

Sinister smiled.   
  


To Be Continued…


	5. OSFTSB5

Disclaimer:Any characters previously mentioned in a Marvel Comic, I do not own.Marvel does.I'm not making money off of this.****

**_Note:_**** Warning: Chapter contains adult language.**

**One Step Forward, Two Steps Back**

Part Five

A night out on the town—a successful one was a rare thing for the X-Men. Especially when they went out as a group. Everyone was home that night and no one had any plans. So they decided to make the most of a rare occasion and all went out for a nice dinner in the city. Charles however, declined, claiming he had work to do in his office.

Dinner being done, the X-Men were walking through the park, occupying themselves in various conversation when the man came running up to them.

"Please! You have to help me! They're after me! Please!"

The short man had thrown himself against Cyclops and was begging.

"Wait, who is after you? What are you talking about?"

"You're the X-Men aren't you? You have to help me they're after me!"

"Sir, try and calm down." Jean implored. "Who are you? Who is after you?"

"And what makes ya think we're the X-Men?" Wolverine asked.

"I—My name is Jennings. I work for—use to work for Nathaniel Essex."

"Sinister!?" Cyclops defensively took a step back from the man.

"I don't work for him any more! I can't live with myself any longer-- working for that monster. But I know too much… he's sent the Marauders after me! They're on my tail right now! Please! You have to help me!"

"Well, well, well. Looks like we get a bonus prize tonight."

The X-Men looked up and Jennings ducked behind Cyclops.

As though out materializing out of thin air, the Marauders gathered about fifteen feet in front of the X-Men.

"Wonder what the boss'll give us for bringin' in their heads?" Scalphunter continued.

"You're holding something that belongs to us." Vertigo said pointing to the cowering Jennings.

"Enough talk. Let's stomp 'em all!" Riptide said rushing forward. The others followed suit and the X-Men responded in kind.

There was a flash of color and an explosion on the ground in between the two groups. It stopped them both cold. A streak of movement and Remy LeBeau was standing where his card had exploded.

"Ain't no stompin' goin' on here tonight."

"Remy?" Storm asked.

"What the hell you doin' LeBeau?" Scalphunter demanded.

"Yeah, you forget you're on _our_ side now?" Arclight asked.

"What?!"

Remy narrowed his eyes at Arclight, trying to avoid looking to his left where the X-Men were standing.

"Remy. What is going on?"

Scrambler grinned like a four-year-old with a secret. "Gambit, I'm surprised at you! You mean you didn't even tell your old friends you were going back to your even older friends? Well, I guess you weren't as close to them as you pretended to be."

"Ain't none of you ever even _close_ t'bein' my friend."

"Remy…?" Ororo stepped forward and put a hand on Gambit's shoulder. This forced him for the first time to turn and face his family… all of who were staring at him in confusion and disbelief. "What are they talking about? This cannot be true…"

Gambit said nothing, just swallowed with difficulty. His eyes revealed the truth. Ororo removed her hand.

"_Why_?" She said in almost a whisper.

Riptide snorted. "Take a look in the mirror sweetheart."

Gambit whipped his head around to glare at Riptide.

"What the hell are you talkin' about ya whacked out crack pot?" Wolverine demanded.

Storm was still looking at Remy who had turned to look back at her. Her eyes were squinting in confusion-- then they widened as the realization hit.

She stepped back from him slowly, shaking her head in disbelief.

"No… You… You could not have…"

"Oh, he did, he did."

The Marauders were thoroughly amused at the discomfort this was causing everyone else. They were on the verge of laughing aloud when Arclight spoke.

"Hey… where'd Jennings go?"

"_Shit!_ The little rat ditched us."

"We loose him and the Boss'll cremate us."

Scalphunter and Arclight were already after the fugitive.

"We'll settle this later X-Jerks!"

"You comin' LeBeau?"

"What do you t'ink?" Remy answered without looking at Riptide. He hadn't stopped looking at Ororo.

"Suit yourself. You know the stakes." The remaining Marauders took off as quickly as they had come.

"How—How come they couldn't see me?" Jennings asked, still behind Scott.

"I simply made them think you weren't here. Jean said quietly not looking from the Storm/Gambit situation. "The Marauders aren't exactly the most intelligent creatures on the planet."

Storm continued with Remy.

"My remission… Sinister…?"

Remy lowered his eyes.

"…_How could you_? How could you _do_ this, Remy?"

"What was I supposed t'do?! Stand dere and watch you die? I _couldn_' do dat Stormy!"

"So you made a deal with the devil to save my life? You betrayed the X-Men for that?"

"Didn' betray no one. Sinister only want _me_ back. Needed someone wit a brain t'run dat brood. I ain't told him _nuthin_' 'bout d'X-Men an' I _never_ would!"

"What did you do?"

"I went to Sinister. I ask him for a cure for d'Striker's. Den I sneak back in d'mansion and give it to you. I leave after dat."

"Do you realize what Sinister must have done to come up with that cure? The man is a _monster_! You had no right to what you did! And did you think I would just stand by and let you give your life to that man? I would sooner _kill_ myself than…"

"Don' say dat, Stormy."

She shook her head. "I cannot allow you to work for Sinister, Remy. I will not trade my life for yours. What ever it takes…"

"Stormy…"

"_No_. You are an X-Man. Your place is with us. I could not look myself in the mirror if I allowed this."

"Stormy…"

"No…"

She turned and began to walk away from everyone.

"Ororo wait!" Bobby spoke up. "Since you already are cured, why doesn't Remy just come home. We win, and to hell with Gambit's deal with Sinister."

"She ain't cured."

"But you just said…" Kitty started.

"He tricked me. What he made for Storm, it only freezes d'cancer in its place. You get pricked wit amino and d'cancer start back up where it left off."

Ororo faced him. "And this is how he is holding you. You remain with him and do his bidding or he reverses his antidote?"

Remy nodded.

"Then let it be reversed."

"Chere, you don' know what you're sayin'…"

"I do. Better than you know. My mind is made up." She looked at the others. "I know some of you side with Remy—in your hearts if not vocally, but put yourself in my position. Could you live knowing your every breath you owe to a monster; and that the life of a team mate—a _family_ member was the price of each breath?" She shook her head. "No. This cannot be. I will not _allow_ it."

"…I can't let you die Stormy."

She walked back to Remy and put her hands on the sides of his face. She shook her head in a set manor.

"It was never you choice to make."

Then she walked away from everyone.

* * * * *

"I don' know what t'do. I gotta do _somethin_' but I don' know what?"

Danielle LaRoche sat on her couch watching her youngest son pace back and forth in her living room.

He had come to her a day earlier and confessed his actions. Anger passed into understanding, and now Remy was here again. The pain in his every movement was a knifes in her heart.

"I… I can't do dis…? How can I do dis? I can't just _stand_ dere and let her… and watch her…"

That very evening in which Remy had been discovered, Ororo demanded of Hank that her reverse Sinister's treatment. He refused at first using his doctor's oath, _never to do harm_ as a shield. Ororo broke at this medical conscious stating that accepting Sinister's cure would be liken to accepting treatments developed in Nazi Germany. And when it appeared he was not accepting that argument, she convinced him of the fact that she was dead serious when she said she would not live that way—one way or the other, she would not allow Sinister to be responsible for her life. She implored him to set her back on the course she was intended to be on—or she would find another way.

After much resignation and argument, Hank forced himself to do as she asked. Twelve hours later Ororo's dizziness had returned, and the illness progressed from there.

It was nearly thirty-six hours later and Remy had to get out of that house.

"Why she gotta be so stubborn?!"

"Because she is a good woman. A good person. And because she loves you."

Remy flopped down into a chair next to the couch. "Grew up wit a lot a brothers. Lotta cousins. No girls. Always wanted a sister, course I didn' know I really had one. Den years later I meet Stormy… She care 'bout me like nobody ever done—'cept maybe Henri. She listen to me. She give me a kick when I need it. She understand me…She gave me a home…" He shook his head. "An' she never give up on me… So how am I supposed ta give up on her?"

"Is _that_ what you think you're doing? Giving up on Ororo? Remy… you must be the strongest man on the planet. You walk around with the weight of the world on your shoulders and you keep adding to it. Remy this happens. It just happens and you have to accept it."

"No. Can't do dat. Gotta do somethin'."

"Do what? What are you going to do?"

"…I don' know. …But I gotta… do somethin'! _Anythin'!_"

"Where is Ororo now?"

"She was down in d'med lab when I left. She could barely move on her own."

"Then why are you _here_?"

"…Can't be dere."

Danielle sighed. "Don't you see Remy. _That_ is what you can do for Ororo."

"What?"

"She needs you there Remy. Now more than ever."

"She won' let me help her."

"You don't want to help her Remy. _You_ want to help _you_. Ororo has accepted what is happening to her. The only person you are fighting is you. You don't want to loose her. You can't stand the idea of her not being there. If you really want to help Ororo, you have to stop thinking about what you want and start thinking about what Ororo wants. And right now, I'm certain there is nothing she wants more than to have her best friend at her side."

Remy closed his eyes fighting the warm feeling building up behind them.

"It's a scary thing, I know. When your father was in that accident… those last days… those last hours I spent by his side were the hardest moments of my life. But I also know, those moments meant more to him than _anything_ else in this world."

Remy reached over and put his hand on hers.

"Just be _with_ her Remy. _That's_ what she wants more than anything, I'm sure of it. _That's_ how you can help her."

There was a painful shaking growing inside of Remy. He suddenly felt very weary. Still, he forced himself to stand. He leaned over and kissed Danielle on the cheek.

"I love you, mere."

"I love you too." She said holding his hand. "Remember Remy, if you need me, I'm only a phone call and a quick cab ride away. You're not alone in this."

He smiled weakly. "I know."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty. "Here." He said handing it to her. "Cab fare. Jus' in case… I might need t'take you up on dat offer."

To Be Continued… 


	6. OSFTSB6

Disclaimer:Any characters previously mentioned in a Marvel Comic, I do not own.Marvel does.I'm not making money off of this.****

**One Step Forward, Two Steps Back**

Part Six

It was late sunset when Remy walked through the door of the mansion. It was very dim and very quiet. No one had turned on any lights and he didn't feel like raising a hand to do it himself.

He heard the low murmur of quieted voices and followed them to the kitchen where he found most of the X-Men seated around the large table. Two pots of coffee sat shakily in the middle of the large group.

A few cast him small glances when he entered. Jean managed a weak smile.

"Hi, Remy."

He only nodded slightly in response. He cast his eyes around the table, stopping at the blue doctor.

"Where is she?" He asked quietly.

"In her room." He said in the same tone. "She wanted to be in her attic. She said there was no reason for her to stay in the med lab any lo—" His voice broke off, and after a moment, he returned to his coffee.

The room was still. Remy turned to leave.

"The Professor's with her."

It was Rogue. Remy paused on his way out, his hand on the doorframe. Again he nodded, but Rogue didn't see it, as she'd never looked up from her cup on the table.

Remy went back out into the hallway, but stopped at the foot of the main stairs for a second. He looked up. No one had turned on any lights up there either. Only the last rays of sun set a gray light around the area.

Remy quietly hopped up the stairs.

He knocked before hesitantly entering the apartment.

Charles turned his head, his hover chair resting next to Storm's bed.

"Hello, Remy."

"Uh—sorry. I—I could come back…"

The Professor smiled. "Don't be silly. I was just on my way downstairs anyway."

He turned back to Ororo who was sitting up, aided by several pillows.

One hand clutching hers, the other reached up to touch the side of her face.

"Take care, child." He said softly. He pulled her forward slightly and kissed Ororo on the forehead.

"Keep on your path, Ch—Professor."

He smiled sadly and reversed his chair. He hovered past Remy and nodded with as much sadness. Remy touched the Professor's shoulder as he passed but didn't move otherwise until he heard the door close.

"All such long faces." Ororo said with a genuine smile. It made the room brighter.

"Yeah." He responded, clumsily. "Uh—you want me t'turn on a light?"

"No. There is enough." She said, still smiling. And indeed there was. At this highest point in the house, the last rays of sun through the skylights were casting a beautifully dim glow of oranges, yellows, pinks and even a beautiful shad of light gray, although Remy had never before considered gray to be a beautiful colour.

He stood there awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Ororo suppressed a small laugh. It was not often Remy LeBeau was uncomfortable—or rather, it was rare that he showed it.

She patted the space to beside her on her right.

"Come. Sit."

He did so and immediately felt more at ease. He and Ororo, unbeknownst to the others, often spent long evenings talking together just like this. He even brought his feet up on the bed.

"Dere clean." Remy said, anticipating the next question that was always asked of his shoes. And indeed they were. It didn't do a thief well to leave dirty footprints behind. A master thief such as Remy _never_ had dirty shoes.

"So, how is Danielle?" Ororo began… and the conversation went from there. They talked for over an hour about everything normal – everyday things, as they always had. When the sun went away, Remy lit a candle that was resting on a dish on the nightstand. Lounging back in a mutual type of hug, neither wanted him to get up to turn on a light.

Finally, there was a slight lull in the conversation. Ororo stared silently at nothing with her own thoughts. Remy chewed on his top lip with his.

"…You're breakin' your promise, ya know."

"What?"

"Your promise. Your vow—t'me. D'one we made…"

"…Oh." Ororo said softly, finally realizing what he was talking about.

It had happened during that year they spent together in New Orleans when they'd first met.

They had a plan to _repossess_ some paintings one night, but had decided to spend a relaxing day at the city zoo before going to work. Animated vegetables, they spent the morning being--well-- stupid. --Making faces at the animals, laughing at the tourists, playing pranks on "Joey" the mascot – who was never quite quick enough to spin that giant kangaroo head around in time to see who was tormenting him.

For some reason, over a couple of ice cream cones, they got it into their minds to go and look at the snake pit.

Smooth concrete walls looked down fifteen feet into a venomous snake quarry. There were hundreds—maybe thousands of them.

Just when the two thieves had just about completely creeped themselves out and were going to leave, there was a heart-wrenching scream.

They turned back just in time to see a small boy of about four or five, rolling down the narrow incline into the pit.

Like a shot, Remy was over the side rail and caught the boy just inches before he would have landed in a swarm of the slithering bodies.

The other piece of good new was there were not as many snakes in that particular area as in others. The bad news was that in order to save the boy, Remy had to land right in that area and the snakes, few as they were, were now attacking Remy's legs as he held the small boy up above his head.

The incline of the wall was too steep for him to climb up. There was a short latter affixed to the wall a few yards off. Unfortunately, he would have to walk into a deeper sea of them to reach it. All Remy could do was lean close to the wall kick off the odd serpent and hold the now screaming and wiggling boy up to safety.

Storm, at the time trapped inside a child's body, had tried to use her winds to lift the two out of there. But in her panicked state, they failed her. She dared not try to use her lightening on the serpents. She might hit Remy of the boy.

Desperate, Ororo climbed one leg over the rail but looked down just in time to see Remy send her the most serious, angry look, she had ever seen on his face. The message he was sending her was fiery clear: "DON'T – YOU – _DARE_!!!"

Ororo climbed back frustrated.

A moment later, a man with a fire hose tied around his waist climbed over the edge. The other end was tied to a cement bench and held on to by three other men.

Remy handed the screaming boy to the man then kicked away a snake that was trying to climb up his leg. After dropping the boy up top, the man climbed back down and helped Remy climb up.

When they were both at the top, the crowd exploded in thunderous applause, heightened by the fact that Remy was still on his feet. --Sort of. His arm across Ororo's shoulders, she was partially propping him up.

"Le's go home, petite." He'd said, his voice ragged.

"But Remy, the paramedics are here." She protested, very aware of the blood covering the legs of Remy's jeans. The paramedics were just arriving.

He shook his head. "Home." And he started to walk indicating that he would go without her if he needed to. So she helped him.

Hours later, Ororo sat fidgeting on the couch of their little apartment while Mama Dac, (_Note: see "Academy" for her identity_), her daughter and Tante Matte tended to Remy in his room. When they finally emerged, they said they had done all they could for him. (Meaning herbs, medicines and words you wouldn't find on any drug store shelf. Things few people in the modern world knew about.) The rest would be up to him.

For three days, Ororo kept vigil as Remy tossed and turned in a fitted fevered sleep. She'd never been so glad to see a pair of black eyes as she was as she was when he finally opened his. But even then, his recuperation took over three weeks.

One morning, he came out of his bedroom with Tante Matte. She gave him a clean bill of health before leaving.

The small Ororo turned her back to Remy.

"So you are okay now?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yup!"

"One hundred percent, tip top shape?"

"One hundred percent." He confirmed clapping his hands on his chest.

"In that case…" she started quietly. She turned suddenly and began pounding Remy in the chest with her fists.

"Do not _ever, ever, ever, ever_ do that again!" she yelled.

Remy laughed slightly, thinking this was a playful sort of punishment. He stopped laughing when he saw the angry tears on her face.

He grabbed her hands to stop her tear-blinded assault and sat on the arm of the chair so that they were eye to eye.

"Hey now, Cherie… What dis all about?"

Ororo angrily wiped away at her own tears, but said nothing. She turned away again.

"Stormy…?"

"You do not get it, do you?" she yelled, the tears starting up again. "You _cannot_ die! You cannot leave me!" she sobbed.

"Do you not understand, Remy? You are the only family I have got in this world. If you died…"

Remy dropped his head sadly and put his hands on her shoulders. He knelt in front of her.

"Stormy…"

"No!"

"…I sorry I scared you, Cherie. Remy won' do it again."

"Promise! Swear it! Swear you will not die on me!

"…I swear it petite… But only if you swear d'same."

The young Storm nodded and smiled. "I swear it."

Then she hugged him. Similar to the way she was holding him now.

"Oh, Remy… You know if there were any way… one that I could live with…" She pushed back to look at him.

"Even if your own soul were not at stake, I could not take Sinister's cure. It would be liken to using treatments developed in Nazi Germany. …I hope you understand."

Remy hugged her close again. "Aww… my mind does, Cherie, but my heart…" He shook his head. "You got any idea how much you mean t'me, Stormy?"

"If it is half as much as you mean to me…"

"…Okay, getting' a little t'ick in here." He said with a laugh. "New topic."

"Alright." She said joining the laugh.

"…So… You gettin' any lately?"

"_Remy!!!_"

* * * * *

He wasn't sure what woke him, but he quickly looked around the room startled. The clock on the stand beside him said it was just before six—too early for his taste.

Ororo and Remy talked themselves to sleep. He wasn't that certain sleep had stopped them as he recalled incoherent murmuring while his eyes were closed.

Remy yawned and looked up through the skylight. Early dawn. Storm's favorite time of day. She had been missing it lately because of fatigue.

Still lying beside Ororo, Remy stretched slightly and his left arm the one her head was resting on became awash in pins and needles. He ignored them.

He kissed Storm on her temple.

"Hey, Stormy…" He shook her shoulder lightly.

"…"

"Stormy wake up. You missin' d'mornin'."

"…"

"Stormy?" Remy slowly pulled his left arm free and propped himself up on his elbow.

"Stormy? …Storm?"

He gently touched the side of her face. She had a peaceful kind of smile on her face. He skin was warm—but not as warm as it should have been.

_'Non!'_ "Non, Stormy."

He put his ear to her chest and listed intently.

Remy closed his eyes as he fought back the flood of hot tears he felt welling up.

"God, Stormy, no."

He sat back up partially, looking down at her. He brushed his hands along her face again.

"Not yet. It too soon, Stormy—it too soon." He said in almost a whisper. He moved a lock of white hair from her face, tears now freely running down his own.

"Please." He begged in a whisper. "Jus' a little while longer…"

"…"

He placed his head on hers. He was now shaking with silent heavy tears.

A sharp gust of wind came up suddenly and shook the glass of one of the closed skylights. Remy took a deep breath and leaned back. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve and leaned back against the headboard. He nodded sadly to himself then cast his eyes up to the still rattling skylight.

_'Okay Stormy. I get it.'_

The rattling stopped.

Remy rubbed his eyes slowly then picked Ororo up in a hug. He held her head under his chin, rocking slowly. Closing his eyes, a couple more tears escaped.

He took another breath and released something between a sob and a sigh.

He wanted to remember everything of this moment: what she felt like, her scent. He trapped her voice and laugh from the night before in his head. The memories they shared he would never allow to leave him.

Remy gave Ororo, one final squeeze. His throat tight with grief, he spoke softly to her a final time.

"T'ank you for bein' my friend…"

The End 


End file.
